Backup Camera for 99 Tahoe

Hey guys,

Quick synopsis: My elderly mother never saw a QVC deal that she doesn't like. With this in mind, she was compelled to purchase a backup camera system (Pyle PLCM7200 7-Inch). But then she didn't want to install it in her Lexus so she offered it to me (I reluctantly agreed...<evil grin>). This thing is pretty slick. The camera mounts on the rear license plate and the monitor fits over top of your rear view mirror. Obviously, I wired it to my backup lights (it's triggered to turn on automatically when you go to reverse).

My windows are blacked out so rear visibility is always an issue. So I drilled a hole into one of the blank panels in my dash and wired it to come on via small switch. It's very slick. Also, since the screen has two AV inputs, I setup a connection for my Iphone5 to push it's display to the monitor (I used it for the GPS phone feature).

Anyway, if anyone's interested in pics or more data or anything, let me know.

Well of course we are. Now give!

Ok will do. I'll submit some pics and a walkthrough (probably won't have time and daylight until Saturday). One interesting wrinkle was that when I applied direct power to the camera via the manual switch, it power up the reverse lights. I figured that the guy behind me on the highway may not like seeing my reverse lights come on lol. So, I used a one-way diode from RadioShack to block that particular circuit path to the lights. Don't worry,...it's Waaaay simpler than it sounds. I'll illustrate when I submit the pics.

I would be interested in seeing your process, I have thought that this would be a good addition to my 96 burb, kinda hard to see out the rear window the back is constantly filled with misc. stuff

Backup Camera Walk_Thru

Ok guys...working this (finally). I took some photos and grabbed a stock image for the one photo I forgot. Also, I was going to use visio to create a schematic for the wiring but it's too much of a hassle so I'm going to hand draw and post the image. I'll post the process with a few posts outlining the steps.

Rear Camera:

Step 1. Locate the reverse power under your rear bumper. If it helps, there's a bundle of wires up behind the rear bumper on the drivers side. This is spare wiring for trailer hitches and they're live.
Step 2. Install the rearview camera. It screws in to the top of your license plate using the normal plate mounting screws.
Step 3. The camera has two connectors. One is a VGA that you'll run through the cabin. Eventually, it'll need to mate with a connector from the viewscreen which mounts over your mirror. I was able to run the cables through the various trims and mate them behind the plastic foot panel behind the parking brake lever.
Step 3.1. The second connector on the camera is a power lead which will need to be soldered/connected to your rear reverse power line.

Backup View Screen
The view screen fits over your rearview mirror. Basically, it's a mirror when it's not powered up and changes to a view screen with power's applied.

Step 1. Mount view screen over mirror
Step 2. It's got 5 wires to deal with.
-- Green (connect to your reverse line under dash)
-- Red (connects to straight +12)
-- Black (ground)
-- Yellow1 and Yellow2 are just RCA style (like a VCR connection) video inputs. One of them will mate up with the yellow connector from the backup camera.

So at this point, your camera is mounted on the back license plate. Your screen is mounted over your rearview mirror. When you place the truck into reverse, the camera turns on and triggers the screen to turn on. And boom! You have backup view.

Now hooking up a power switch....
Step 1. Purchase any sort of simple on/off toggle switch. Mine was $3 at RadioShack.
Step 2. I purchased a fuse tap which basically sticks in place of your fuse...the fuse plugs into it and it provides a spare power lead that you can use for whatever (see picture).
Step 3. I pulled out the blank panel in my dash, drilled a hole and mounted the switch.
Step 4. Connect a power lead from the fuse tap, to the switch...and then to the power lead of the rear backup camera (yes, you'll have to run through the interior panels again).
**Problem**. When you turn on the switch, it'll activate the camera which in turn will trigger the view screen. So you have constant backup camera without having to be in reverse. But....(big but here...)....you have just applied power to the rear reverse lights so your lights will come on. Kind of disconcerting to the other drivers when to be driving 70mph and have your reverse lights come on...lol.

**Solution** One way diode. I bought one for about $2 at RadioShack. I'm including a picture. Go to the reverse light side of the connection to the camera power. Install (solder) in the diode with the band on the reverse light side of the line. When you put your truck in reverse, the power will hit the reverse lights...pass through the diode and then power up the camera. But, when you hit the little power switch, the power will hit the same line and be blocked from passing through the diode (so your lights won't come on). But there's no block in the direction of the camera so you have instant backup camera.

Finally,..as noted in the earlier threads..the view screen has TWO video inputs. One is obviously for the rear backup camera...but the other is for something like a DVD or whatever. I have an Iphone5. So I got a lightning to VGA converter. The VGA plugs into a VGA to RCA converter and then to the Viewscreen. So when I plug in my phone, I can push the phone's display (GPS,.Youtube..whatever) to the second input on the viewscreen. Attached is a weird picture. I hooked up my phone and pushed it's display to the screen. But then I had to go to camera mode to take a picture. So the view on the viewscreen is my phone taking a picture of the viewscreen while connected....whew!! Sort of like the movie Inception.

Anyway, you can tuck all these under your dash easy and then just pull them down when you want to use.

I'm also attaching pics of the lightning to VGA and the VGA to RCA adaptors.

At the end of the day...here's a picture of my truck (I'm still knee deep in restoring it). And a picture of it with my boat (which is why I bought the darn thing to begin with). Not sure how I let myself get sucked into these crazy electronic experiments...but I guess that they're fun.

Oops...sorry. Here's my super scientific hand drawn schematic of how it all ties together. :naughty:

I wonder if they make a backup camera that can be used VIA Bluetooth or wifi with your cellphone, seems like that would save a metric ****ton of wires and hassle

http://www.amazon.com/4UCAM-Backup-Camera-iPhone-Android/dp/B00HWB91VY

Yup.

lesterl said:

http://www.amazon.com/4UCAM-Backup-Camera-iPhone-Android/dp/B00HWB91VY

Yup.

Click to expand...

I swear I have looked for days and haven't ever come across that....that is a bit of a stretch over the cost of the setup I have been thinking on (about $45)

On the other hand, it would work great with my tablet... gah, more money I DONT need to spend!

Thanks for posting, gonna add that to my wishlist and hope someone buys it for me by some miracle

That's pretty cool Needs a screen and leads to the reverse lights. But still cool.

Shade said:

That's pretty cool Needs a screen and leads to the reverse lights. But still cool.

Click to expand...

after looking a bit more I found you can buy a wireless module and use it with a screen and camera...I have the overhead storage compartments and I am thinking of trying to conceal the screen there